As cultured as a Simon Elliot square pass

Game 2 – Grades

April 6, 2008

Hesmer – 5: The first goal was his fault. The turf played havoc on it, but he got two hands to it. He was lost on the corner kick. He saved another penalty kick and some point blank shots. He also refused to play out of the back and kicked the ball up field the majority of the time last night. Not his best night.

Miglioranzi – 5: The Red Bull attack focused on the center of the defense and Miglioranzi played his part on that. He did not have too much to do covering the inexperienced wings of the Red Bulls. He did not pinch up as much as last week, but connected well enough to the midfield and wings. Still, I think he will be a defensive liability against a good attacking winger.

O’Rourke – 3: My concern from last week is that he gives away too many fouls. That is much less acceptable from a central defender. His marking was poor as Echeverry was able to find space throughout the first half. He will have to improve quickly or Andy Iro or Ezra Hendrickson may take his place in the lineup. He had the worst performance on the team.

Marshall – 5: He put in a solid effort by keeping Angel quiet. His assignment may have contributed to the first goal as he stuck with Angel instead of stepping up on van den Bergh. He was pushed, tripped, and lost his mark on the second goal. I am not sure if he could have done more to settle the defense. He may have provided more linking support to the midfield.

Hejduk – 4: He did not link up with the midfield at all last night and seemed to be playing a different game than Schelotto. His crosses were off and he was ineffective when he was pushed up into the midfield late in the game. Defensively, he did not have much to do as the Red Bull wings were inexperienced and ineffective most of the game.

Rogers – 5: He pressed into the attack, but did not link up well with the midfield. He did not create too much space for himself and his crossing was weak. It did not seem as if he thought he could attack one on one. It was a very inconsistent performance from Rogers.

Moffat – 5: He attacked more aggressively this week, but his passing was off. His energy created some of the best opportunities, like his attack into the box early in the 2nd half. He seemed to be pressing to recreate his goal from last week at times, but I did like the attacking intent. Part of the midfield control issues. He and Carroll need to manage the game from their central position. Subbed in the 61st minute by Brad Evans.

Carroll – 4: His effort was lacking as he needed to step up and settle the central midfield. He could not setup the tempo and looked hurried when in possession of the ball. He provided some cover for the defense. Play needed to run through him more than it did; his lacking performance showed.

Gaven – 5: Another low key performance from Gaven. There were times he dribbled into the heart of the Red Bulls defense, but he faded for large amounts of the game. His inconsistency makes building the Crew attack difficult as he is expected to be a vital cog this year.

Schelotto – 5: He was very active throughout the game. He adapted his game to the turf more than any other Crew player, but still did not link up with the rest of the team that well. Subbed in the 61st minute for Nico Hernandez

Moreno – 5: Struggled being the point of attack again. He did not get the service or support from the midfield. It would have been helpful to have another forward to play off of. His game seemed off tonight, much like the rest of the team.

Evans – 4: Came on for Moffat in the 61st minute. Did not really settle the midfield as he was supposed to do and looks a step below an MLS regular. He plays best wide, but seemed to be tasked with settling the central midfield. He will need to develop rapidly as he is expected to cover for Gaven or Rogers when the Olympics start later this summer.

Hernandez – 5: Came on for Schelotto in the 61st minute. He brought energy into the game, but suffered from the same drawback that Moreno did. It would be interesting what he might be able to do paired with Moreno or Schelotto.

Hendrickson – 4: Came on for Miglioranzi in the 67th minute. He played central defense when the Crew switched to a 3-5-2 and then played out of position as a target forward for the last 10 minutes of the game. He played both with little distinction.

Crew Man of the Match – I tried to pick from a half dozen tepid performances, but couldn’t.

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Were we watching the same game? To grade Frankie at a 4 is unbelieveable. I thought Frankie did quite well, better than the rest of the defense. To say he didn’t hook-up with the mid-field. Where the hell are you coming from. Schelotto wasn’t even on his game last night. I seem to recall it was because of Schelott, NY scored. I also thought only a couple of Frankie’s crosses were not there. But the rest were. You need to rewatch the game. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.

Perhaps a 4 is a little harsh. I guess I am holding Hejduk to a slightly higher standard than some of the other players. Given his role in the offense (sadly we must rely on our right back to create chances), I expect him to link better with the midfield. It was something none of our backs did with effectiveness all night.